Lord Saint Yang first appealed to reason, then moved with logic, attempting to persuade Mo Ruyi.
Unfortunately.
From beginning to end, Mo Ruyi maintained only one stance: the Primordial World answered directly to the Nine Heavens and would heed only the decrees of the Nine Heavens. Without a decree from the Nine Heavens, all other discussions were off the table.
Lord Saint Yang piled on accusation after accusation, from small matters like maintaining world order to grand ones like safeguarding the lives of all living beings, placing himself on the moral high ground to use morality as a weapon of coercion. If one did not cooperate with him, they would be failing the exalted dignity of the Nine Heavens above and betraying all living beings below.
Yet.
Mo Ruyi seemed impervious to both fire and water, yielding neither to soft words nor hard pressure. No matter what grand arguments were made, she remained unmoved.
At this point.
Lord Saint Yang's expression grew somewhat unpleasant. Not only was his face losing its shine, but he was also finding it difficult to step down from his position.
After all, he had arrived this time riding the Great Sun Dragon Chariot, accompanied by a hundred Heavenly Domain Elders and tens of millions of Heavenly Domain Immortal Officials. Before coming, he had already anticipated that Mo Ruyi would be a tough bone to chew. Having operated in the Lingluo Heavenly Domain for so many years, Lord Saint Yang naturally knew that the existence of the Primordial World was rather complex. That Mo Ruyi could be enfeoffed by the Nine Heavens as the ruler of the Primordial World's Immortal Dynasty, and that the Nine Heavens had even made the Primordial World independent—Lord Saint Yang knew that Mo Ruyi's existence was undoubtedly not simple.
Precisely because he knew, he had put on such a grand display today, both to intimidate Mo Ruyi and to let her know just how resolute his stance was.
What Lord Saint Yang had never expected, however, was that despite his status as a sovereign ruler of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, and having already shown courtesy for the greater good, this Mo Ruyi would not give him the slightest bit of face!
Although Lord Saint Yang was deeply unwilling in his heart, there was nothing he could do.
After all, the Nine Heavens had long ago decreed that the Primordial World was not under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Court Residence of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. Even though he was the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Domain, holding authority over both the Heavenly Domain Law and the Immortal Dao Law, he dared not openly defy the decree of the Nine Heavens.
"Since your Immortal Dynasty refuses to cooperate, this old man naturally will not force the issue. However..." After much deliberation, Lord Saint Yang could only settle for the next best option, saying in a deep voice, "The Primordial World is the hometown of that criminal You Di. This old man suspects he might be hiding here. If your Primordial Immortal Dynasty refuses to conduct a search, then this old man will personally take on the task. Although the Nine Heavens decreed that your Primordial World is not under the jurisdiction of our Lingluo Heavenly Domain, as the Grand Elder in charge of governing the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, I should have the qualification to conduct a search here, shouldn't I?"
"Lord Saint Yang."
Mo Ruyi stared at Lord Saint Yang, her tone still flat. "I advise you not to cause trouble in the Primordial World. If anything happens, you simply cannot bear the responsibility."
"Hahahaha!"
Lord Saint Yang laughed heartily, arrogantly declaring, "This old man, as the Grand Elder in charge of the Heavenly Domain, has the duty to safeguard the security of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. For the exalted dignity of the Immortal Dao, I am willing to devote myself entirely, even unto death. Even if a calamity of the greatest magnitude occurs, I alone will bear it! There is no responsibility this old man cannot shoulder!"
As his voice fell.
Lord Saint Yang waved his hand grandly and shouted, "Let's go!"
Watching Lord Saint Yang depart with his vast retinue of Heavenly Domain Immortal Officials aboard the Great Sun Dragon Chariot, Mo Ruyi, standing in mid-air, gently shook her head. "He appears righteous and selfless, but in reality, he is ambitious, monopolizing court authority, greedy for fame and fortune. If the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao were to fall, you obstinate and ignorant people would absolutely deserve the greatest credit."
A faint smile touched the corner of her lips, tinged with something like disdain, as she murmured to herself, "In the Ancient Era, fate decreed you should not perish. In the Present-Ancient Era, you may not be so lucky. Disasters wrought by heaven can be forgiven, but those brought upon oneself are inexcusable."
As she spoke, Mo Ruyi looked toward the northwest direction—the direction of Yunxia Sect—and whispered, "I wonder how great a tempest he intends to stir in the Great Desolation upon his return this time."
"He clearly knows that behind this incident, there are people adding fuel to the fire, aiming to use him to disrupt the Great Desolation and to use the Nine Heavens to probe his original sin. He knows, he must know. But since he knows, why is he still so determined to proceed?"
"Does he seek revenge against the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, or does he also wish to throw this Great Desolation world into chaos?"
Giving another slight shake of her head, Mo Ruyi sighed softly and added, "If he merely wants to exact pure revenge on the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, that would be fine...
But if his goal is not merely revenge against the Immortal Dao, then it would be far too terrible."
...
In mid-air.
Lord Saint Yang rode the Great Sun Dragon Chariot, leading a vast contingent of Heavenly Domain Immortal Officials toward the center of the world.
"Lord Saint Yang, where are we going now?"
"Naturally, to the Shangqing Sect."
Lord Saint Yang's voice came from within the Great Sun Dragon Chariot. "That criminal You Di once cultivated at the Shangqing Sect, and I've heard he has a master who lives in seclusion there. It is said that every time You Di returns, he goes to the Shangqing Sect to pay respects to his master. If that criminal You Di has indeed returned from death, his master would certainly know."
"But..." A Heavenly Domain Elder beside him voiced concern. "The background of the Shangqing Sect is too complex. Would it be inappropriate for us to rashly go there to search?"
The Shangqing Sect was not only the number one major sect in the Primordial World but also the number one sect in the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. It was likely the number one major sect across all the myriad realms of the heavens.
This 'number one major sect'
referred not only to its numerous disciples and vast influence but also, when it came to the complexity of its background, the Shangqing Sect absolutely deserved to be called the undisputed number one sect in the Great Desolation.
As for how complex the background of the Shangqing Sect was, speaking of it could truly frighten a person to death.
Legend had it that behind the Shangqing Sect stood the Shangqing Cavern, one of the Thirty-Six Cavern Heavens. And behind the Shangqing Cavern was the Shangqing Heaven, one of the Nine Heavens. And behind Shangqing Heaven was the true master ruling the heavens and earth—the Heavenly Dao.
Although in the Present-Ancient Era, the Immortal Dao claimed to be the leader of the Great Daos, dominating the heavens, earth, and the Great Desolation,
it was merely a claim.
In other words, it was nominally the leader of the Great Daos, but the true ruler of the heavens and earth remained the Heavenly Dao. The reason was simple: the origin of the heavens and earth had always been presided over by the Heavenly Dao. Only by presiding over the origin of the heavens and earth could one be the true overlord.
It was just that the Heavenly Dao had been in a deep slumber since the Ancient Era. Even though ten thousand years had passed since the Present-Ancient Era began, the Heavenly Dao had yet to awaken. News of the Heavenly Dao was scarce in the Great Desolation, so many people believed that the Heavenly Dao had truly fallen. Whether the Heavenly Dao had fallen or not, no one knew. It was only known that for ten thousand years of the Present-Ancient Era, it had been the Immortal Dao managing the order and laws of the myriad realms of the heavens.
Precisely because of this, the term 'Nine Heavens Immortal Dao' came into being. Many people in the Present-Ancient Era also believed that the Immortal Dao represented the Nine Heavens, and the Nine Heavens were the Immortal Dao.
But that was not actually the case.
The Nine Heavens were the Sacred Lands of Light, also the Ninefold Heavens. The Immortal Dao merely presided over one of them, the Mysterious Heaven.
In addition, the Buddhist Dao presided over another of the Nine Heavens, the Western Heaven.
And the Heavenly Dao similarly presided over one of the Nine Heavens, the Azure Heaven.
Because in the Present-Ancient Era, the Heavenly Dao had yet to awaken from its slumber, and the Buddhist Dao remained in a semi-secluded state, only the Immortal Dao among the Nine Heavens had been relatively high-profile. Claiming to be the leader of the Great Daos and managing the order of the heavens and earth, over time, in the minds of many, the Immortal Dao came to represent the Nine Heavens.